HPANA: "Last week rumors started to circle the news rounds that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" would be released in 3D, we can now confirm these reports to be true." - I CANNOT believe this stinking 3D trend. Could we please focus on telling the story? Yeah, it makes more money, great. So what about the folks it makes sick to watch their lovely 3D creation? What do they do? Thanks for nothing.

The Disney Blog [hat tip Steven Vore]: "Universal Orlando has expanded the offerings on their preview website for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land set to open its first stage this spring. It includes a new interactive map along with descriptions of all the rides and attractions." - Wow, I haven't posted about everybody's favorite wizard in a very long time. It's funny how my excitement about everything Harry Potter has died down now the series is complete and we're not going to see another book. We still have the final two films to look forward to, but there's always something disappointing about them. That said it almost seems too late to have built The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Economist: "In fact the Harry Potter books were the iceberg. As each book appeared it drew new readers to the series and expanded sales of earlier books in a snowball effect. Thanks largely to the boy wizard, Bloomsbury's turnover, which had gradually increased from 11m in 1995 to 14m in 1997, took off. In 1999 it stood at 21m. Two years later it was 61m. By the middle of this decade, with Bloomsbury's revenues above 100m, rival publishers were griping that there was no point bidding against the firm for a children's title." - It really is a Cinderella story.

BBC: "Coltrane, who plays Hagrid, believes the last days of filming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be as hard on the adult cast as the younger ones." - I think most Potter fans dread it a bit. For me it won't be as hard as the end of the books, but it is indeed a bummer.

HPANA: "Warner Home Video has officially announced that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD will be released in the U.S. on December 8th. As expected the DVD will be released in 1-disc DVD, 2-disc DVD, and 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo formats." - Mine is marked.

The Leaky Cauldron: "Notable from the report (and as indicated by multiple other sources previously) was confirmation that yes indeed Bill and Fleur's wedding scenes are being recorded all this week, complete with one of the Weasleys spotted wearing a bandage over his ear and Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley) was seen sporting prosthetic scars on the left side of his face. Exciting too is news that the double for Xenophilius Lovegood was wearing 'mustard colored corduroys, a pale shirt with a yellow waist coat over the top that was covered in flowers and shoulder length blondish-white hair.'" - Sounds like they're off to a great start!

Scifiwire.com [via The Leaky Cauldron]: "Well, there's one where he comes and delivers Dumbledore's [Michael Gambon] legacy to the three children," Nighy replied, referring to Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint, with whom Nighy worked on the upcoming action-comedy Wild Target). "He gives them all of the things that Dumbledore has left them, and that's when it's first indicated that he may not be around for much longer. So it's quite an affecting scene." - So, I guess The Burrow will be rebuilt? Good. The idiots that made Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Price shouldn't have burned it down in the first place. That additional scene made zero sense in the final cut of the film, IMHO.

Mugglenet: "Earlier this month, Bill Nighy confirmed his role as Rufus Scrimgeour for the final Potter movies. In an interview with BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, he revealed that scenes with his character as the newest Minister of Magic will begin in the next week." - I believe Bill Nighy is perfect for this role, question is will he be able to pull it off? I'm sure he'll do just fine.

Can we go into the first installment of the Deathly Hallows not knowing who the new Minister is? Skipping The Other Minister in Half-Blood Prince now seems like a bit of a mistake to me. Maybe it'll be ok, they'll just introduce a new scene a fix everything, right?

On a side note. A lot of Potter fans, including my favorite Harry Potter Prognosticators believe the Half-Blood Price was able to stand alone. I thought so too, even though I was a bit disappointed with certain aspects. My brother has never read a single Potter book, he's no idiot, and was very confused by the film. In his words "It went nowhere."

I have more questions than answers about the new film given some of the choices in Half-Blood Prince. Will Bill and Fleur's wedding happen as expected now The Burrow has been destroyed? A good portion of Deathly Hallows is spent at The Burrow preparing for the adventure to come. Do we skip right over that entire part of the book? I guess only time will tell. Hopefully they don't blow it.

Deathly Hallows - The Traveling Potter and Deathly Hallows - The Battle for Hogwarts could be epic on screen if they make the right choices. Think The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King.

I didn't care for the opening scene, The Other Minister, is one of my favorite chapters in the entire series, and they completely skipped Will and Won't by combining parts of The Other Minister, Chapter 1 and Will and Won't, Chapter 3, in the opening scene. I was really looking forward to Dumbledore's conversation with the Dursley's at Number 4. Too much detail for the film I'd imagine.

I liked Spinners End, it felt a bit rushed, but so did the entire movie.

Why do they change subtle things? Like Luna discovering Harry, instead of Tonks? At first I thought Tonks was cut from the film, but later on, there she is.

What good was the new scene at The Burrow? Why burn The Burrow down? Didn't make a lick of sense to me.

I do enjoy the quiet moments in the movie, friends talking and joking, well done.

Ron's Quiddich play was great.

Hermione beating on Ron and Harry, very funny.

Emma Watson, wow, she turned things around. Pleasant surprise. She did a bit of acting!

I think the film is definitely worth seeing, and very enjoyable. Two-and-a-half hours flew by! To date Sorcerers Stone and Chamber of Secrets are my favorites, with Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince a close three and four.

For me the bottom line is this; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is worth the price of admission, but it goes to prove the best films are typically original screenplays, not adaptations of novels filled with wonderful detail.

Beyond Hogwarts: "Throughout the course of the latest Harry Potter movie, we follow along with the final year of the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore. I must admit, I was a great fan of Richard Harris' Dumbledore, and Michael Gambon has taken some getting used to for me. But for me, in this his ultimate Dumbledore performance, I think Gambon has really finally captured Dumbledore, and really made me believe, once again, as Richard Harris had done, in the love and care that Dumbledore had for Harry in the books. Just in time for him to be taken from us, again, unfortunately." - I'm hopeful I'll feel the same, but we'll see, hopefully tonight.

Entertainment Weekly: "Half-Blood Prince encompasses important plot developments involving both love and death. But the story is, still and all, only a pause, deferring an intensely anticipated conclusion. And it's in that exquisite place of action and waiting that this elegantly balanced production emerges as a model adaptation. By now, as played with utmost loyalty to the cause by some of Britain's most illustrious actors, the supporting characters are as familiar as the population of Homer Simpson's neighborhood (and that's a great compliment). Yet with a big assist from cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel - a Potter newbie who memorably shot Amelie and Across the Universe - the filmmakers have found a way to refresh our eyes and enhance our appreciation for this rich, amazing creation. A-" - As much as I gripe about the movies, you can bet your buttons I'll be seeing this one. No, I really cannot help myself. From all accounts this could be the best Potter movie yet!

The Leaky Cauldron: "Over the years, one topic of debate hotly discussed in our fandom has been actor Michael Gambon and his portrayal of Professor Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter film series. Adding fuel to the fire has been his previous comments over the years regarding his deliberate choice to not read the source material found in the works of author J.K. Rowling." - Michael Gambon, wonderful actor, HORRIBLE Albus Dumbledore. Read the article, read what Gambon says, maybe I'm being a bit too hard on the guy, not that it'll matter to him, but he also calls out Steve Kloves for writing the screen character the way he does. They apparently "demanded an intense Dumbledore." Intense, yes Dumbledore could be intense[1], but not ever pointed at the students. This is where Gambon and Kloves make a huge mistake. Dumbledore was humble, and nonchalant even in the most intense situations[2]. He was always under control. Gambon's Dumbledore makes him out as weak, and out of control, which I really do not care for.

How is it Kloves and Gambon can miss the mark so completely, yet Chris Columbus and Richard Harris could portray him so perfectly?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I wonder what J.K. Rowling really thinks about her creation being so completely twisted? Maybe we'll find out in a few years, maybe not. Then again maybe she's ok with it? We all know Dumbledore had his demons, but he didn't show them in public, and he knew his faults so completely. Again, a sign of his complete control of every situation.

The Leaky Cauldron: "Harry Potter producer David Heyman was in Los Angeles last night for an event held at an Apple store where he took some questions from fans. Reader Richard asked the producer about legendary John Williams and a possible return to score Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." - I love John Williams, there I said it. I certainly hope he returns, I still play the first two Potter scores quite often. Love 'em.

Hollywood.com [via HPANA]: "However, if Radcliffe is the heart, Michael Gambon is the film's soul as Albus Dumbledore; Gambon gives a powerfully subtle performance as the de-facto father figure to young Mr. Potter." - Either Michael Gambon has figured out Dumbledore or Mr. Dergarabedian has never read the books. I hope it's the former but I'm not going to bet on it. I think Michael Gambon is a fantastic actor but his portrayal of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has been less than stellar to date, especially in Goblet of Fire. Now, that may not have been entirely his fault, but in the end he's the guy on the screen, so it's easy to blame him.

I really hope he's pulled a rabbit out of the hat this time, it's his final shot at nailing the character, and it would be nice to see him go out on a high note.

I am definitely looking forward to the film, it could be the best Potter yet. In just over 14-days we'll know.

MuggleNet: "This upcoming weekend, May 30 and 31, ABC Family will be broadcasting Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire during its "Harry Potter Weekend." As it has done in the past with previous movies, ABC Family will also be airing sneak peeks at the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." - Hey, check those local listings. Prisoner of Azkaban starts at 5PM out here on the west coast.

WOW! That's about all I can say about the latest Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trailer! It's going to be the most visually stunning of the franchise to date, no doubt. My only concern is how much of the story is from the book? Judging by what I saw in the trailer they've taken more creative license with this story than with any other. I'll love it, but I'd imagine I'll be a bit disappointed, all at the same time. I don't like it when things vary too much from the original.

Harry Potter Prognostications: "Erc box office and comingsoon.net are both unofficially reporting that Warner brothers has moved up the release date for the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Movie to July 15, 2009, bringing it to theaters two days earlier than scheduled." - It's been a while since I've had any Potter related news on this site!

Harry Potter Prognostications: "“TODAY Australia” gave HP fans some new and exciting footage of the Half Blood Prince movie. Take a look!" - Wow, this trailer gives me a bit of hope. It looks like they nailed it! The proof is in the pudding, so we'll see on 07.17.2009. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer.

Cinematical: "Now it's not a completely out of left-field thought created for the article. It seems that screenwriter Steve Kloves 'said recently that Warner Bros was worried about the prospects for the last three films in the series, since JK Rowling is no longer driving anticipation for the titles by producing new books.' I guess Warner Brothers didn't hear the world-wide sighs and cries of pain after delaying Half-Blood." - If the economy continues to tank it would make sense for folks to stop spending on entertainment if it comes down to a movie or feeding your family. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Cinematical: "That's the new two-minute trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince below, which Warner Bros. is hoping will help stave off death threats from fans who are still resentful that the film was pushed back to next July from its original release date of next week. (Just think! If it weren't for that, you'd be seeing the film less than seven days from now!) " - Potter news has been very slow to come on this site since the release of the final book. I was looking forward to our day-after-Thanksgiving tradition of a movie with the family, this years choice was of course Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, until Warner Brothers decided to play Scrooge and push it off until next summer. Summer Potter releases of Potter movies don't hold the magic for me. Yes, I'm a bit bitter. Oh well, enough complaining.

We all know May is the beginning of the Blockbuster Season in the movie business, but Hollywood has been pretty good about giving us some decent films in November and December in recent years. Hey, think back to November and December 2001, an awesome time for movie going.

I'm not sure what our day after Thanksgiving film will be this year, it was going to be Potter, now... what's worth seeing, and family friendly? City of Ember looks like it's going to be really good but it starts in October, will it hang in there until late November? Beyond that I'm not overly impressed by most of the November releases.

Harry Potter Prognostications: "Today is HPProgs’ two year birthday/anniversary. It is hard to believe we have been around for two years and we are still going strong. What started as a complete lark has actually become a source of entertainment, information and plain old good times (and to quote Greg: general tomfoolery and hi jinks)." - Two years old? Boy, time sure does fly, doesn't it?

Cinematical: "This is the cover of the new Entertainment Weekly, which hit newsstands today, approximately 24 hours after its top story became outdated. As you've heard by now, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no longer the most-anticipated movie of the fall; it's now the most-anticipated movie of July 17, 2009. Whoops." - Entertainment Weekly and WB are both owned by Time Warner, so you know this was a quick decision. What was the true motivation? We may never know, but I don't think it had to do with the summer blockbuster season. This is Potter, not some chick flick, it would've done just fine in the dead season for movies, January through March. The trailers were late in coming, that tells me they couldn't get it together.

MuggleNet: "BURBANK, CA, August 14, 2008 – Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it has moved back the release date of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009. The sixth installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise will now open day-and-date domestically and in the major international markets on July 17, 2009. The announcement was made by Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros." - It would seem to me WB just blew it, period. I don't know what the true dates are for blockbuster season but July 17th seems kind of late to me. And another thing, do you think more people are going to go see it because you're showing it in the summer? Please. Did you hear of a little trilogy called The Lord of the Rings? It managed to do quite well in the late fall, thank you very much.

So, either they did a bad job with their schedule, or they looked at their books and said "Gee, our movie lineup sucks for next year, we need something big or we're going to be in trouble."

I guess the story points to the latter.

Ya know, I prefer to see Potter films in the fall. It gives us something during an otherwise bad time for movie releases, although it's gotten much better over time. So does this also mean we're not going to see the first installment of Deathly Hallows for two years past the release of Half-Blood Prince, with another two after that for part two? That would suck guys. Hopefully it's all filmed together and released within ONE YEAR of Half-Blood Prince since they're delaying this release so long.

The HD versions looks spectacular! It looks like they nailed the early interactions between Dumbledore and Tom Riddle, maybe nailed is a bit too strong a word to choose, but they do look good. We get to see a young Tom Riddle in the trailer, Dumbledore putting on Gaunt's ring, and what I believe is the lake scene and one including Jenny that I can't quite place. There's also a scene of someone running through a wheat field, my memory must be slipping because I don't remember anything like that in the book, so I wonder how that works in? Maybe something to do with young Riddles transformation into Voldemort, the time he spent going farther into the dark arts than any other wizard. Oh my, oh my, hold onto your seats if this trailer is any indication of what we should expect out of the film!

Veriterisum: "Also, new scans from Movie Magic magazine reveal that, since Bill was cut from the sixth movie, the werewolf Fenrir Greyback 'attacks Harry, but Harry or (someone unseen) petrifies him in time. But Ron's Dad is not so lucky -- Fenrir mauls his face and nearly kills him.'" - I'm going to drop to the floor and kick and scream now. Why make a change like that? So now Mr. Weasley will be mangled in the seventh movie, instead of Bill? Is Shell Cottage even going to appear in part one, or part two, of The Deathly Hallows movie? Are these guys going to completely jack up the story line? I'm sorry, but this stuff really does put my knickers in twist. I don't mind if things are subtle but these kinds of changes lead to other changes so they can keep continuity in the story. J.K. Rowling drops interesting clues in each and every book, things you think didn't matter, but then she ties it together nicely in the next book, or the one after that. This one isn't too egregious, but it is a change that doesn't seem necessary.

Let it go Rob, let it go, it's just a stoopid book and movie, ohmmmmm, ohmmmmm, ohmmmmm....

Harry Potter Prognostications: "If you are having any difficulty reading the handwritten version, here is a typed copy of the submission. Enjoy!" - I haven't had a chance to read this, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

The Telegraph [via HPANA]: "Friends said the murder victim, who they named as 18-year-old Robert Knox, worked as a film extra and was due to appear in the new Harry Potter film coming out in November."

MuggleNet: "This September marks the 10th anniversary of when Sorcerer's Stone was first released in the United States, and Scholastic is ready to celebrate!" - Wow, it's hard to believe it's been ten years!

To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the skrewts had been killing one another was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk.

MuggleNet: "Over the past few months, we've been updating you on various construction photos from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Today, Screamscape.com has a few new pictures from construction, most notably one of a building from Hogsmeade Village." - They should've started construction on this after the release of the first film. Back in April 2003 I wondered why WB and Magic Mountain hadn't started building a Potter themed park, here we are a full five years on, if they'd only listened.

HPANA: "We now have confirmation from Warner Bros. on reports this morning from various movie sites that the first of the two films will hit theatres on November 19, 2010." - This is fantastic! I love fall releases of Potter. The first film was released on November, 16 2001.

Cinematical: "Like, could you imagine William Moseley being the guy that gets to befriend Hermione and Ron, come onto Cho Chang,* chum up to Dumbledore, and take on Voldemort?" - Um, no.

MuggleNet: "May 2nd, 1998 was the day Harry finally defeated Lord Voldemort within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Beyond Hogwarts: "And if she does write some new books about Harry's magical world, what should they be about? Would you like to read books about Albus Severus Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts? Or would you like to know more about the times of James, Sirius and Remus? How about going all the way back to the time of Dumbledore and Grindelwald? Or even further?" - I've actually thought about this a lot. Seeing the magical world J.K. Rowling created walk into the sunset would be ok, but I wouldn't cry if she did another series of books based in the past. That said, if I could pick a time period for Ms. Rowling to write about it would be the rise of you-know-who and the First Wizarding War.

First Showing: "Warner Brothers has released the first official photo from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Overall, the image is rather nondescript and doesn't tell us much, save for that the three leads - Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) - are returning for the sixth time. You can faintly make out the headline in the newspaper Hermione is holding as possibly 'More Disappearances at Ministry of Magic' or something like that."

CNN: "J.K. Rowling says the Harry Potter characters she created are as dear as her children -- too precious to allow an inferior Potter encyclopedia to be published without letting the world know the ordeal is draining her of her will to write." - Please, please, finish the encyclopedia.

Veritaserum: "Although these casting have not been confirmed by Warner Bros., Tom Moorcroft is listed as playing Regulus Black and Charlie Bennison will reportedly play Sanguini." - Kim and I were just talking about these casting choices, they look fitting enough, but we wonder why bother casting a Sanguini character? I know tough choices are made when adapting a book into a screenplay and that goes for who shows up on the big screen and who doesn't. Sanguini means absolutely nothing in the Big Potter Picture. I guess the Christmas party scene is still in, that's good.

Here's hoping Half-Blood Prince does the book justice. Good luck guys!

MuggleNet.com: "After retiring from the world of Quidditch as one of most respected and celebrated players in the history of the sport, Ginny Weasley has written a book exposing the rampant use of wizarding growth hormone in the professional Quidditch world" - What a shame.

MuggleNet.com: "After years of tending to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, everyone’s favorite half-giant is making a name for himself on television. Are You Smarter Than Rubeus Hagrid? airs every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET on FOX." - Sign me up!

Harry Potter Prognostications: "t is official, the LA Times has reported that WB will be making the announcement tomorrow that Deathly Hallows will be split into two movies with David Yates directing them" - This is huge news. The big question for the Potter faithful, where do you draw the line between part one and part two? I do believe this is a wonderful idea because I'd like to see the series finish with a bang! Splitting Deathly Hallows will give Warner Brothers the opportunity to do things the right way, and by right way I mean epic battle scenes reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings. I can't wait to see The Battle of Hogwarts. Maybe they'll split the book at Shell Cottage? Seems a reasonable place to leave us hanging. I guess we'll find out later.

Update: Another cool thing I missed the first time I read the announcement. The first of the two parts will be released in November of 2010, I LOVE November release dates. We typically see a movie the day after Thanksgiving and Potter would be perfect. We'll get to see The Half-Blood Prince this November, then Deathly Hallows, Part One, two years later. I love it when a plan comes together.

Yes, it's been quite a while since I've written about our favorite boy wizard. Apparently there's been a lot of talk about who will direct the final installment, even Spielberg's name was mentioned. According to Lois Lowry, author of The Giver trilogy, David Yates will direct The Giver aftercompleting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Veritaserum: " Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent told DarkHorizons that he has been cast as Horace Slughorn in the film adaptation of Half-Blood Prince." - This is an excellent choice for Horace Slughorn IMHO!

My mom spoke to a kid at Target that had the exact same problem I did with my Border pre-order. He called to confirm his order, they didn't have a copy set aside for him.

So, how many people didn't get their copies on Friday night because Borders, and Amazon, didn't come through?

A good friend of mine, and colleague, Stuart Rawling, didn't receive his book on Saturday as promised from Amazon. They've made things right for him, he's getting his copy this afternoon for free. Well done Amazon, that's how you should treat your customer.

So, if you still need a copy and have ~$18.00, go to your local Wal-Mart, the brick and mortar version, they had tons of them.

Kim and I managed to find two copies of Deathly Hallows at our localWalMart, hat tip Bill Lazar.

We'd planned a trip to Morro Bay for the weekend and we've managed toget in a bit of reading this afternoon, I'm a snail like reader soI'm only just beginning chapter six. Kim is on about page 150, chaptereight. I'm not going to give away anything, so don't worry.

Scotsman.com News: "As an off-camera film-maker offers his congratulations, Rowling, 41, says: 'Thank you...yeah, you don't know, it might be rubbish. Some people will loathe it, they will absolutely loathe it. For some people to love it, other people must loathe it. That's just in the nature of the plot.'" - Does this support those of us that believe Harry is a big time goner? I guess we'll find out in just over five days.

Another choice piece from the article...

"Excerpts released at STV's scheduled launch in Glasgow yesterday might add fuel to the conspiracy theory gripping Potter fans across the globe - that the boy wizard Harry dies at the end of the seventh and final novel. The rumour mill has gone into frenzied overdrive in the run-up to the worldwide release of the last Potter novel on 21 July."

The Order of the Phoenix plays tonight, midnight. Unfortunately I won't be there, I'd love to, but I can't convince my lovely wife to go. What can I say, we're getting old, and it's hard to stay awake that long.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now 10 days + change away. Wow! It's a big topic at work between a few Potter die hards. Yesterday's topic was "How will Dumbledore help Harry stay alive." At most I think Dumbledore will be available via his portrait in his Hogwarts office. Which made me wonder where else will he have portraits? One of the guys thinks Dumbledore will pull an Obi-wan. I don't know about that, but it's definitely fun to hear everybody's theories about it.

About

Rob Fahrni has been a Software Developer for 20 years. He's developed DOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, and Palm based applications in C, C++, Objective-C/Cocoa, C#/ASP.Net, and, yes, even BASIC...
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